    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [October 9, 2004]
    [Pages 2422-2428]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Breakfast for Gubernatorial Candidate Matt Blunt in St. Louis, Missouri
    October 9, 2004

        Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thank you all for coming. Please
    be seated. I appreciate that kind introduction, Governor. [Laughter] He
    said, ``Are you doing anything for breakfast?'' [Laughter] I said,
    ``Waking up.'' [Laughter] He said, ``Why don't you come by and have some
    eggs with some friends.'' [Laughter] I said, ``More than happy to.'' I
    want to thank you all for coming. With your help, Matt Blunt will be the
    next Governor for the great State of Missouri.
        It's good to be back in St. Louis, home of the mighty Cardinals. You
    might remember opening day. [Laughter] The Cardinals had a great season
    after that. I can't claim any credit--[laughter]--although I've always
    wanted to lead a baseball team into the playoffs. [Laughter]
        I'm proud to be traveling with Laura. She is
    a--so when I asked her to marry me, she said, ``Fine, just so long as I
    never have to give a speech.'' [Laughter] I said, ``Okay, you got a
    deal.'' [Laughter] Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that promise. The
    American people have seen her speak and have come to know her as a
    strong, compassionate, great First Lady. We're off to Iowa and then
    Minnesota. And I'm going to remind the people of those States, like I'm
    reminding everybody, there's some reasons to put me back into office,
    but perhaps the most important one is so that Laura will have 4 more
    years.
        We got a great family. I'm proud to be with my Uncle Bucky
    Bush and my Aunt Patty
    Bush. Thank you for your love and compassion.
        I want to thank Melanie Blunt for her
    willingness to serve the State of Missouri as the next first lady of
    Missouri. Besides Matt, you've got another fine Missourian on the
    ticket, running for Federal office, and that's Kit Bond. You need to put him back into office.
    He's a great Senator. I know Brenda Talent is
    here. I appreciate you being here, Brenda. Thank you for coming. You
    know, that fine husband of yours, I didn't
    hold it against him that he missed another one of my speeches, but he's
    heard a lot of them before. [Laughter] He's doing a great job, and I
    know you're proud of him. I know the people of Missouri are proud of him
    as well. Congressman Todd Akin--I don't know if
    Todd made it this morning or not, but I'm proud of the job he's doing
    for the people of this area of Missouri.
        I saw Peter Kinder last night. I don't know
    if Pete is here, but he's going to make a great Lieutenant Governor for
    the State of Missouri. Yes, Peter, thank you for coming. You've come a
    long way for a country boy. [Laughter] I want to thank Catherine
    Hanaway, who's going to be the next
    secretary of state for the great State of Missouri.
        I want to thank Ann Wagner, who has done
    such a fine job as the cochairman

    [[Page 2423]]

    of the RNC and as the chairman of the Missouri Republican Party. Thank
    you for being here, Annie, it's good to see you. I want to thank my
    friend Sam Fox and Marilyn Fox for helping to organize this breakfast today. And I
    want to thank you all for joining the Foxes in supporting this good man,
    Matt Blunt for Governor.
        I know Sarah Steelman is here, running
    for State treasurer, and Chris Byrd, running for
    attorney general. Thank you both for running. Good luck. I'm all for
    you.
        But most of all, thank you all for coming. Thank you for being here.
    Thank you for what you're going to do, which is turn out the vote. And
    thanks for supporting Matt. It takes a lot of work to get 750 people to
    show up for breakfast. [Laughter] It's a great organizational effort.
    And I want to thank Matt's friends for putting this breakfast on. It's
    an important election here in Missouri. Matt has everything it takes to
    lead this State.
        In 2001, he became the first statewide elected official in Missouri
    history to be called up to active duty. Think about that. He served his
    Nation with honor in the United States Navy. He's still a member of the
    Navy Reserves, and I'm proud to be his Commander in Chief. He knows
    people in the ``Show Me'' State want Government that gets results, not
    Government that just spends money.
        For the last 4 years, Matt has been getting results as the secretary
    of the State. He's a results-oriented person. That's what you need in
    your statehouse. I know something about being a Governor. I was one
    once. [Laughter] A Governor's job is to get things done for the people
    of their State, and that's what he's going to do as your Governor.
        His top priority is education, and that's the way it should be.
    Anybody running for Governor must make sure the education of the State
    is the top priority. I used to say in Texas, education is to a State
    what national defense is to the Federal Government. Matt understands
    that, and he believes that. He's got good plans and good visions for the
    schools of this State. He'll make sure school funding gets to the
    teachers and the classrooms, so not any child, not one child is left
    behind in this State. He'll make sure this great State continues to
    create jobs. He understands that a good economy is one in which the
    farmers and ranchers do well.
        And he'll do something else, what's needed. The high cost of
    medicine is making it hard for small businesses to expand, for people to
    keep their health care. He understands like I understand, these
    frivolous lawsuits are driving good doctors out of business and driving
    up your cost of medicine.
        We both share a commitment to keep our economy growing and to keep
    the people safe. We have some things in common. We're both in the same
    line of work as our dads. [Laughter] But all the good advice comes from our
    mothers. [Laughter] I want to thank Matt's mom
    for being here. Roseanne, great to see you.
    God bless you.
        We share the same values. We stand for a culture of life, which
    every person matters and every being counts. We stand for marriage and
    family, which are the foundations of our society. We believe in the
    power of faith, and we stand with the armies of compassion. We stand for
    judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict
    interpretation of the law. These values are shared by Republicans and
    Democrats and independents all over the State of Missouri. When the
    people of Missouri elect Matt Blunt, you'll get a Governor who stands up
    for those values every single day. Let's get him in office.
        We're getting close to voting time here in this country. But who's
    counting the days? [Laughter] There was voting time elsewhere in this
    world today. A marvelous thing is happening in Afghanistan. Freedom is
    powerful. Think about a society in which young girls couldn't go to
    school and their mothers were whipped in the public

    [[Page 2424]]

    square. And today they're holding a Presidential election.
        The first person to vote in the Presidential election, 3 years after
    the Taliban ruled that country with such barbarism, was a 19-year-old
    woman, an Afghan refugee who fled her
    homeland during the civil war. Here's what she said: ``I cannot explain
    my feelings, just how happy I am. I would never have thought I would be
    able to vote in this election.'' She's voting in this election because
    the United States of America believes that freedom is the Almighty God's
    gift to each man and woman in this world. And today is an appropriate
    day for Americans to remember and thank the men and women of our Armed
    Forces who liberated Afghanistan.
        The people of Australia voted today as well. And I want to
    congratulate my good friend Prime Minister John Howard, who won a great victory.
        Laura and I are here to ask for people's
    vote. We believe you've got to get out amongst the people and say, ``I
    want your vote. I want your support.'' I'm looking forward to coming
    down the stretch, traveling this great country, talking about a strong
    and positive message for our country. I've worked hard to make this
    country more hopeful and secure. I've led our country with principle and
    resolve, and that's how I'll lead this country for the next 4 years.
        It was good to be back at Washington University. If I spend any more
    time there, they might give me an honorary degree. [Laughter] But I
    enjoyed that debate last night, and I really appreciated the questions
    from the people of Missouri. They were good questions. And they helped
    highlight some fundamental differences on issues from jobs to taxes to
    health care to national security.
        Much as he tried to obscure it, on issue after issue, my
    opponent showed why he's earned the ranking,
    the most liberal Member of the United States Senate. And several of the
    statements just don't pass the credibility test.
        With a straight face, he said, ``I've only
    had one position on Iraq.'' He must think we've been on another planet.
    [Laughter] In the spring of 2003, as I ordered the invasion of Iraq,
    Senator Kerry said, ``It was the right decision.'' Now he says, ``It's
    the wrong war.'' And he tries to tell us he's had only one position. Who
    is he trying to kid? He can run, but he cannot hide.
        With another straight face, he tried to
    tell Americans that when it comes to his health care plan, quote, ``The
    Government has nothing to do with it.'' [Laughter] Eight out of ten
    people who would get health insurance under Senator Kerry's plan will be
    placed on a Government program. He can run, but he cannot hide.
        Then Senator Kerry was asked to look into
    the camera--[laughter]--and promise he would not raise taxes for anyone
    who earns less than $200,000 a year. The problem is, to keep that
    promise he would have to break almost all of his other ones. [Laughter]
    His plan to raise taxes on the top two income brackets will raise 600
    billion by our count, 800 billion by his. But his health care plan alone
    costs more than $1.2 trillion. He can't have it both ways. To pay for
    the big spending program he's outlined during his campaign, he will have
    to raise your taxes. He can run, but he cannot hide.
        Much of what my opponent said last night
    is contradicted by his own record, 20 years of votes that earned him the
    ``most liberal'' label. He voted 98 times to raise taxes, more than 200
    times to break spending caps. He voted against tort reform, although
    last night he tried to claim he now supports it. On national security,
    he has a voting record--a record of voting against the weapons systems
    that helped our country win the cold war. He voted to cut America's
    intelligence budget by $7.5 billion.
        And now he says he wants a ``global test''
    before taking action to defend America's security. The problem is,
    Senator Kerry's own record shows we can never pass that

    [[Page 2425]]

    test. In 1991, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution
    supporting action to remove Saddam Hussein
    from Kuwait. The international community was united. Countries
    throughout the world joined our coalition. Yet in the United States
    Senate after the Security Council resolution, Senator Kerry voted no. I
    have a different view. I'll work with our allies. I'll continue to build
    a strong coalition, but I will never allow other nations to veto
    America's national security decisions.
        After listening to the litany of complaints and the dour pessimism,
    I did all I could not to make a bad face. [Laughter] We got a better way
    to make sure this country is more hopeful and more safe.
        When you're out counting--rounding up the votes, remind people what
    we've been through. We've been through a recession. And by the way, the
    stock market started to decline 6 months before I became President. And
    then we had a recession. Then we had some corporate scandals. We passed
    tough laws to make it clear that we're not going to tolerate dishonesty
    in the boardrooms of America. And then we got attacked, and that attack
    cost us 1 million jobs in the 3 months after September the 11th.
        But I put the right policies in at the right time at the right
    place, right here at home. We cut the taxes on the people. We gave the
    people more money to stimulate consumption and encourage in investment.
    And because we acted, the recession we faced was one of the shortest in
    history. America is on the move.
        Yesterday we learned we've created 1.9 million new jobs in the last
    13 months. We're on the move. The national unemployment rate is 5.4
    percent. That is lower than the average of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
    Farm income is up. Small businesses are flourishing. The entrepreneurial
    spirit is strong. Homeownership rates are at an alltime high in America.
        There is more to do. To make sure jobs stay here in America and this
    economy grows, we need less regulations on our job creators. We need
    legal reform in America. We need to make sure we have an energy plan
    that encourages consumption, that works with renewables, that explores
    for coal by using technologies to protect our air. To make sure jobs are
    here in America, America must be less dependent on foreign sources of
    energy.
        To make sure jobs remain here, we got to reject economic
    isolationism. You know, we open up our markets for goods from overseas,
    and that's good for consumers. If you have more goods to choose from,
    you're likely to get that which you want at a better price and higher
    quality. That's how the marketplace works. That's why I'm saying to
    China, ``You treat us the way we treat you. Level the playing field.''
    And I believe strongly that America can compete with anybody, anytime,
    anywhere, so long as the rules are fair.
        To make sure we continue to grow this economy, we got to make sure
    our people get educated. I went to Washington to solve problems, not to
    pass them on to future Presidents and future generations. I knew
    something about public schools because I was the Governor of a State. I
    knew that people in leadership positions had to challenge the soft
    bigotry of low expectations, a system that just quit on certain kids, a
    system that thought certain kids couldn't learn so they just shuffled
    them through, grade after grade, year after year. We let down too many
    families with that kind of attitude.
        Yes, we've increased spending at the Federal level, but excellence
    in the classrooms requires more than just spending increases. It
    requires a change of attitude. We've raised the standards. We now
    measure early, so we can solve problems before it's too late. We believe
    every child can learn, and when we find a problem, we provide extra
    resources. And guess what's happening in America. There was an
    achievement--there is an achievement gap

    [[Page 2426]]

    in America, but it's closing. It's closing because the system now
    focuses on each child, provides resources for each child, and will not
    let any child get behind in America.
        There's more to do. There's more to do. We got--in a changing world,
    most new jobs require a college degree, yet one in four of our students
    gets there. That's why I believe in intermediate help in high schools
    for at-risk students. That's why I know we got to put math and science
    in place. That's why I'm for extending Pell grants for low- and middle-
    income families, so more of our people start their career with a college
    diploma.
        And in a changing world, the skill sets required for jobs in the
    21st century change as well. That's why I'm a big believer in the
    community college systems, to make sure our workers have got the
    capacity to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
        No, there's more to do. We've done a lot. We've had a record of
    accomplishment. But the only reason to look back is to tell the people
    I'm going to do what I'm telling you I'm going to do. The only reason to
    look back at the record is to say, ``This man intends to accomplish more
    for the American people.''
        We got to make sure our health care system is available and
    affordable. I remember campaigning here in 2000, going to a community
    health center right here in St. Louis, Missouri. I saw the compassionate
    care being delivered to the people there, to those who can't afford
    insurance, to those who need help. I'm a big believer in community
    health centers to help the poor and the indigent. I believe every poor
    county in America ought to have a community health center. I believe we
    ought to extend and expand the low-income health program--the health
    program for low-income children. I know to make sure health care is more
    affordable, we must allow small businesses to pool risk across
    jurisdictional boundaries so they can buy insurance at the same
    discounts big companies can. I strongly believe we need to expand health
    savings accounts, tax-free accounts, coupled with catastrophic care, so
    workers have got more affordable health care, so small businesses can
    better afford health care.
        I know we need to introduce technologies into the medical system to
    wring out the inefficiencies in the system to reduce the cost of health
    care. And I agree with Matt Blunt: In order to make sure health care is
    available and affordable, we need medical liability reform--now. I don't
    think you can be pro-doctor, pro-patient, and pro-trial-lawyer at the
    same time.
        No, there's more to do to make sure America is a hopeful place, and
    there's more to do to make sure America is a safer place as well. Our
    strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland. We're transforming and
    strengthening the All-Volunteer Army--and we will keep it an all-
    volunteer army. We're making sure we got the best intelligence in the
    world. We will stay on the offensive. We will strike the terrorists
    abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. We'll continue to
    work for freedom and peace in the broader Middle East and around the
    world. And we'll prevail.
        Our strategy is succeeding. Think about the world some 3\1/2\ years
    ago. Afghanistan was the home base of Al Qaida. Pakistan was a transit
    point for terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for
    terrorist fundraising. Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Iraq
    was a gathering threat. And Al Qaida was largely unchallenged as it
    planned attacks.
        Because we led, because we acted, Afghanistan is fighting terror and
    holding a Presidential election today; Pakistan is capturing terrorists;
    Saudi Arabia is making raids and arrests; Libya is dismantling its
    weapons programs; a army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom; and
    more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's leaders and associates have been
    brought to justice. We've led. Many have joined, and America and the
    world are safer.

    [[Page 2427]]

        And we've got more work to do. Over the next 4 years, we'll pursue
    Al Qaida wherever they hide. Over the next 4 years, we'll continue to
    disrupt the flows of weapons of mass destruction. Over the next 4 years,
    we'll continue to spread freedom.
        And that's what's happening in Iraq. Last night I talked about the
    Finance Minister who came to see me. Let
    me recount some of that conversation I had with him. I thought it was
    really interesting and illustrative. He walks in full of confidence. He
    says, ``Mr. President, thank you for what you and your country have done
    for us. We're headed toward elections.''
        Think about that statement. A fellow
    shows up in the Oval Office of the President of the United States and
    says, ``We're headed for elections.'' For most of us, that doesn't sound
    like much. But for a person who used to live under the--in a country
    that was ruled by a brutal tyrant, where
    there were torture rooms and mass graves, where people had no freedom at
    all, to say, ``We're headed toward elections,'' is a powerful statement.
        And our strategy is clear. We're going to help the Iraqis. We're
    going to train Iraqis so they can do the hard work necessary for a free
    society to emerge. It's their country. We just want to stand with them
    as democracy comes to that piece of the world. And so we're training the
    troops. We'll have 125,000 police, Iraqi* national army trained up by
    the end of December. It's an essential part of our strategy. We got $7
    billion allocated for reconstruction efforts. We're working with a grand
    coalition. Some 30 nations are involved there in Iraq.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        As an aside, you cannot lead a coalition in Iraq if you tell them,
    ``This is the wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time.'' Imagine
    my opponent's grand idea of a global summit,
    and he walks in, and there are the leaders around the world sitting
    there, waiting for the American President to speak. And he says,
    ``Follow me into a great mistake.'' Nobody is going to follow. You must
    have optimism. You must believe in what you're doing if you expect to
    lead. And I believe in what we're doing in Iraq. And in January, Iraq
    will have elections, and that's important. You see, I believe in the
    power of liberty to transform societies.
        I tell people all the time about my relationship with Prime Minister
    Koizumi of Japan. I was with him at the
    United Nations a couple of weeks ago, and I said, ``I don't know if you
    know this, but I'm traveling the country talking about you and talking
    about our relationship. Is that okay?'' After having done it about 30
    times, he had to say yes. [Laughter] He said, ``Sure.'' I didn't tell
    him I was going to tell you his favorite singer is Elvis. [Laughter]
        But think about that for a minute. He
    and I are friends, and we're talking about different issues confronting
    the world. And the reason I say ``think about it'' is because it wasn't
    all that long ago that we were at war with Japan. If you're 58 years
    old, like me, it seems like an eternity. But a lot of people in this
    country still remember that war. My dad
    does, Buck's brother. I'm sure
    you've got dads and granddads who fought against the Japanese. They were
    our sworn enemy.
        And after we were victorious in World War II, Harry S. Truman, from
    the State of Missouri, believed that liberty could transform an enemy
    into an ally. And so did a lot of other citizens. Oh, there were some
    skeptics in those days, and you can understand why. We had just finished
    a war. A lot of people's lives had been hurt as a result of that war. A
    lot of Americans had lost a loved one. They weren't interested in
    worrying about Japan. They were interested in their own souls and their
    own hearts. I'm sure there was a lot of people here that said, ``It's
    just impossible for an enemy to become a friend.'' But because my
    predecessor and other Americans believed in the power of liberty to
    transform

    [[Page 2428]]

    societies, I sit at the table with Prime Minister Koizumi, talking about the peace we all want.
        We'll get the job done in Iraq. Freedom is powerful. And when we
    succeed, an American President will be sitting down with a duly elected
    leader of Iraq, talking about the peace that we all want. And we will
    have known--this generation of Americans will have known we have done
    our duty to our children and our grandchildren to leave behind a better
    world.
        The stakes are high. This is an historic opportunity. It's essential
    that we be resolute and clear in our vision and have faith in the values
    that make us a great nation. I believe this century will be liberty's
    century. I know that by spreading freedom abroad, we'll bring the peace.
    And by spreading freedom at home, opportunity will go into every single
    corner of this country.
        It's my honor to represent you. I look forward to winning this
    election. I want to thank you for help. May God bless you all, and may
    God continue to bless our country.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:34 a.m. at the America's Center. In his
    remarks, he referred to Melanie Blunt, wife of gubernatorial candidate
    Matt Blunt; Brenda Talent, wife of Senator James M. Talent; Missouri
    State Senator Peter Kinder, candidate for Missouri Lieutenant Governor;
    Prime Minister John Howard of Australia; and Prime Minister Junichiro
    Koizumi of Japan.